Switch for progressive lighting.



G. T. FIBLDING, JR.

SWITCH FOR PROGRESSIVE LIGHTING.

APPLICATION FILED Emma, 1911.

. 1,024,251, I Ptented Apr.23, 1912.

@0W By E ATTURNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE T. FIELDING, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SWITCH FOR PROGRESSIVE LIGHTING.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. FIELDING, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Switch for Progressive Lighting, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to electric signs and similar display devices, and its object is to provide a new and improved switch for progressive lighting device, in which the electric lamps forming a predetermined design, are progressively lighted to heighten the eflect. For the purpose mentioned, use is made of a series of electric lamps and a switch for each of the said lamps, controlled by the current of the preceding electric switch, so that after one lamp is lighted the next following one is automatically lighted at a predetermined interval, and so on, throughout the entire series of lamps.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of the electric progressive lighting device; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the switch on one of the lamps; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the same.

The wires A and A of a main electric circuit are connected with a suitable source of electrical energy, and the said wires are provided with a main switch B, preferably of the rotary kind, for periodically opening and closing the main circuit. A series of electric lamps C, C, C2 are connected by wires D, D, D2 with the wire A of the main circuit, and a wire D3 connects the first electric lamp C with a solenoid F, which in turn is connected by means of a wire D4 with the wire A of the main circuit, so that when the main circuit is closed by the main switch B then the first electric lamp C is lighted. The remaining lamps C', C2 of the series are successively lighted, and for this purpose use is made of switches E, E2, respectively. The switches E, E and E2 are preferably in the form of solenoid switches. The core F2 of the coil F is connected by a wire F'je with the coil G of the switch E', and which coil is provided with a `fixed core Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 28, 1911.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Serial No. 611,368.

G and a movable core G2, of which the fixed core G is connected by a wire G2 with the main circuit wire A while the movable core G2 is connected by a wire G* with the coil H of the switch E2. The coil H is provided with a .fixed core H and a movable core H2, of which the fixed core H is connected by a wire H3 with the main circuit wire A, while the movable core H2 is connected by a wire H4 with the next following switch.

The switches E, E', E2 are alike in construction and a description of one will suffice for all. Each is mounted in a housing I fastened by a clamp J to the lamp, and in the lower portion of the housing I is arranged the coil G, connected with the electric lamp at one end by a wire K and at the other end by the wire Gt, with the movable cores G2. The coil G is wound on a tube L of an insulating material fixed to heads L, L2 secured to the housing I, and in the head I2 is adjustably mounted the fixed core G, preferably in the form of a screw, as plainly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The movable core G2 extends into the upper portion of the tube L and is normally spaced from the inner end of the fixed core G', and the movable core G2 is preferably provided with a plunger N slidable in a cylinder O arranged in the upper portion of the housing I between the head L and a head L3 in the top of the housing I. The cylinder O is provided with a binding post P extending through the head L2 and connected with the wire G4. A spring Q is coiled on the movable plunger G2 and rests with its lower end on the bottom cylinder O, while the upper end presses against the under side of the plunger N so as to normally hold the movable core G2 in uppermost position with the lower end of the core spaced from the fixed core G. The lower end of the core G2 is preferably provided with a spring G5 adapted to engage a contact point GG that is on the upper end of the fixed core G. Now it is evident that when the coil G is energized then the core G2 is caused to slide downward against the tension of its spring Q and until the spring G5 on the end of the core G2 finally makes contact with the core G to close the circuit for the next following lamp, to light this lamp. When this takes place, the coil of the next following lamp is energized and the movable core therein is caused to make contact with the corresponding fixed core so that the next following lamp is lighted, and so on, throughout the entire series. At the time the several lamps of the series are lighted the main switch B opens the main circuit so that the lamps in the whole series are suddenly extinguished, and when the main switch B again closes the main circuit A then the lamp C is first lighted, and then successively the lamps C', C2, and so on, throughout the entire series, as previously explained. It is understood that when the main switch B opens the circuit, the coils F, G, H are denergized and consequently the cores F2, G2, H2 are returned to normal uppermost position by the corresponding springs Q. By having a plunger N connected with a movable core F2, G2, H2 itis evident that the action of the movable core C2 is retarded when making contact with the iixed core G', so that the lamps C, C, C2 are lighted at desired intervals, which intervals can be changed by making the plungers N to it more or less tightly in the cylinders O.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In a switch for progressive lighting, a cylindrical housing provided wit-h a conducting head at one end and an insulating head at the opposite end, a tube disposed centrally of said housing, a coil wound around said central tube, a cylinder within said housing, a permanent core carried by said conducting head and arranged to extend within the central tube, a movable core having a coil spring at one end and being provided at the other end with a plunger, said plunger being disposed within said cylinder, and a spiral spring surrounding said movable core, one end of said spiral spring bearing on said plunger and the opposite end bearing on the end of the. cylinder.

Q. In a switch for progressive lighting, a cylindrical housing provided with a conducting head at one end and an insulating head at the opposite end, a tube disposed centrally of said housing, a coil wound around said central tube, a cylinder within said housing, a permanent core carried by said conducting head and arranged to extend within the central tube, means for permitting the adjustment of the position of the permanent core, a movable core having a coil spring at one end arranged to engage said permanent core and being provided at the other end with a plunger, said plunger being disposed within the cylinder, and means for normally holding said movable core away from said permanent core.

3. In a switch for progressive lighting, a cylindrical housing provided with a conducting head at one end and an insulating head at the opposite end, a tube disposed centrally of said housing, a coil wound around said central tube, a cylinder within said housing, a permanent core carried by said conducting head and arranged to extend within the central tube, a movable core having a resilientconductor at one end and being provided at the other end with a plunger, said plunger being disposed within said cylinder, means arranged to engage the plunger for normally keeping said movable core away from said permanent core, and means permitting the adjustment of the position of said permanent core with respect to the movable core.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE T. FIELDING, Jn.

Vitnesses THEO. G. Hos'rnn, JOHN P. Davis.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

